RG Steel spokeswoman Bette Kovach said the company would idle operations at its Sparrows Point steel mill outside Baltimore as well as in Warren, Ohio and Wheeling, W.Va. The Sparrows Point plant has about 2,000 employees.

WBAL-TV 11 News obtained a notice citing "uncertainty" with the company's lenders as to the level of funding they'll need to remain open.

Kovach did not release figures on employment at the other two operations or how many layoffs were expected.

"A lot. I don't know the exact number because we will be putting the plants into asset protection," Kovach said.

RG Steel bought the plants last year, making it the fourth-largest flat-rolled steel producer in the country. However, the company has struggled financially since then. Kovach said earlier this week that the struggling steelmaker is considering asset sales.

The company will idle hot steelmaking and finishing at the Sparrows Point mill, hot steelmaking at the Warren, Ohio plant, and finishing operations at the Wheeling, W.Va. plant, which finishes steel made in Warren, Kovach said.

"That's basically the company," the spokeswoman said.

The decision does not affect a coke-making facility in Follansbee, W.Va., which is part of a joint venture, Kovach said.

The company also said it had filed notice with union officials and labor regulators. Large employers are required to provide notice 60 days in advance of plant closings and mass layoffs, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Shannon Davis, a spokeswoman for the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, said she had yet seen the notice.

Kovach said earlier this week that the company is considering selling assets. The spokeswoman confirmed on Monday reports that potential buyers have expressed interest in acquiring company facilities and all options are on the table.

The company shut down the Sparrows Point blast furnace just before Christmas and notified state officials that it was laying off about 720 workers. RG restarted the blast furnace earlier this year after receiving financing from a New York hedge fund.

Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz released a statement Thursday afternoon, saying: "Once again, the hard-working men and women at RG Steel Sparrows Point are facing tough times. We are keenly aware that thousands of workers and their families depend on steel making for their livelihood -- plus, thousands more who work for suppliers and businesses related to the Sparrows Point mill."

"Baltimore County's rapid response workforce development team will be working with RG Steel, the United Steelworkers and our State partners to be sure workers have timely information about all unemployment benefits and resources available to them. We encourage Sparrows Point workers to take advantage of the free services and workshops available at Baltimore County's workforce development centers. Free career consultation, seminars, and job placement assistance are available at the Eastpoint, Hunt Valley and Liberty Center career centers."